Supporting spring cushion structure for a seat



c. s. REED June 16, 1964 Filed Nov. 27

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 va/Hwy T a 2 4L c a 1 @u l T fl U 6 a 1m L +1 I 1INVENTOR. cue/1? 5. R550 A T'TOR/V s c. s. REED 3,137,490 SUPPORTINGSPRING CUSHION STRUCTURE FOR A SEAT June 16, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FiledNov. 27, 1962 IQ E=% INVENTOR. (AA/R S. RIA'D BY 0314425., MI

United States Patent Ofiice 3,137,490 Patented June 16, 1964 3,137,490SUPPORTING SPRING CUSHION STRUCTURE FOR A SEAT Clair S. Reed, Wayne,Mich., assignor to Van Dresser Specialty Corporation, Warren, Mich., acorporation of Michigan Filed Nov. 27, 1962, Ser. No. 240,236 10 Claims.(Cl. 267-110) This invention relates generally to spring cushions, andrefers more particularly to an improved supporting spring cushionstructure for a seat.

One of the essential objects of the invention is to provide an improvedsupporting spring cushion structure of the type mentioned wherein asingle upwardly arched composite layer, embodying reinforcing loadsupporting heavy gauge spring wires, serves as the sole supportingspring structure for the seat and provides the desired cushioningeffect.

Another object is to provide a supporting spring cushion structurewherein the upwardly arched composite layer comprises a single sheet offabric, transversely extending heavy gauge border wires at opposite endsof said sheet, and separate longitudinally extending reinforcing loadsupporting heavy gauge spring wires threaded in substantially parallelrelation to each other through the fabric and terminally connected tosaid border wires.

Another object is to provide a supporting spring cushing structurewherein strips extend lengthwise of and are secured to the transverselyextending members of a seat frame, and tongues project from said stripsat longitudinally spaced points thereof, embrace said border wires, andhave free ends pressed against said strips to hold the single compositelayer in upwardly arched position.

Another object is to provide a supporting spring cushion structure thattakes the place of the usual separate plain insulators and theirseparate spring supports.

Another object is to provide an improved supporting spring cushionstructure that is simple in construction, economical to manufacture, anddurable and efficient in use.

Other objects, advantages and novel details of construction of thisinvention will be made more apparent as this description proceeds,especially when considered in connection with the accompanying drawingswherein:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a supporting spring cushion structure fora seat.

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal section view taken substantially on the line22 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially on the line33 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially on the line44 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view takensubstantially on the line 55 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view takensubstantially on the line 66 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of the left hand transverselyextending side member and the transverse extending metal strip securedthereto, and showing one of the tongues of the strip in open position toreceive a border wire, and showing another of said tongues of the stripin crimped embracing relation to a border Wire.

Referring now to the drawings, A is a metallic supporting seat framehaving spaced parallel longitudinally extending tubular front and rearmembers 10 and 11 respectively, and having spaced parallel transverselyextending tubular side members 12 and 13 respectively extending betweenand secured to said longitudinally extending members 10 and 11 atopposite ends thereof.

14 and 15 are transversely extending metal strips of substantially 0cross section embracing and Welded in surface to surface relation to thecurved inner sides 16 and 17 respectively of the transversely extendingmembers 12 and 13 intermediate the ends thereof. 18 is a longitudinallyextending substantially channel-shaped strip located upon the outer sideof and embracing the front longitudinally extending member 10.Preferably the upper and lower side walls 19 and 20 respectively of thechannel-shaped strip 18 are welded to the longitudinally extendingmember 10 at substantially diametrically opposite sides thereof, and thelower side wall 20 of said strip projects inwardly beyond thelongitudinally extending member 10 and is provided at longitudinallyspaced points adjacent its inner edge with aligned elongated slots 21.22 is a longitudinally extending relatively wide metal strip welded totheouter side of the rear longitudinally extending member 11 and curvingtransversely downwardly and inwardly below and welded to the undersidesof the transversely extending members 12 and 13. Preferably this strip22 is provided at longitudinally spaced points adjacent its inner edgewith aligned elongated slots 23. i

24 is a single longitudinally extending compositelayer occupying thespace between the metal strips 14, 15, 18 and 22 and serving as the solesupporting spring structure for a seat. As shown, this layer 24comprises a longitudinally extending substantially rectangular sheet 25of fabric, transversely extending heavy gauge border wires .strengthrequired to serve as spring supports.

26 and 27 at opposite ends of the sheet, and transversely spacedlongitudinally extending reinforcing load carrying heavy gauge springwires 28 threaded through the fabric sheet 25 throughout its length andterminally connected to said border wires 26 and 27.

The sheet 25 of fabric may be burlap or any other suitable material. Theborder wires 26 and 27 arepreferand may be approximately /s in diameter.

Struck out from the transversely extending metal strips 14 and 15 atlongitudinally spaced points thereof are aligned substantially L-shapedtongues 30 and 31 that initially extend upwardly through the sheet 25 offabric to receive the border wires 26 and 27 of the single compositelayer 24, that thereafter are bent to embrace said border wires 26 and27, and are then pressed against the inner sides of the transverselyextending metal strips 14 and 15 to secure said border wires 26 and 27in fixed relation to the transversely extending metal strips 14 and 15.

Before the single composite layer 24 is secured by the tongues 30 and 31to the transversely extending metal strips 14 and 15 on the side members12 and 13 to the seat frame, the single composite layer 24 is flat, andthe distance between the border wires 26 and 27 is greater than thedistance between the tongues 30 and 31 of the transversely extendingmetal strips 14 and 15. Thus the single composite layer 24 is archedupwardly throughout its length when it is secured by the tongues 30 and31 to the transversely extending metal strips 14 and 15 on the sidemembers 12 and 13 of the seat frame A. This is accomplished by firstplacing the border wire 26 in engagement with the L-shaped tongues 30when the latter initially extend upwardly. Then such tongues 30 are bentto embrace the border wire 26, and are then pressed against the innerside of the transversely extending strip 14 to anchor the border wire 26to said strip 14. Then the single composite layer 24 is bent or archedupwardly through- ,out its length so that the other border wire 27 maybe placed in engagement with the L-shaped tongues 31 when they initiallyextend upwardly. Such tongues 31 are bent to embrace the border wire 27,and are then pressed against the inner side of .the transverselyextending strip 15 to anchor the'border wire 27 to said strip. Thesingle composite layer 24 will then beheld in upwardly arched position.

Thereafter, the'forward portion 33 of the fabric 25 is bent downwardlythroughout its length and is secured to the lower side wall 20 of thelongitudinally extending channel-shaped strip 18 by means of hog rings34 extending through the elongated slots 21 in said lower side wall 20,and the rear portion 35 of the fabric is bent downwardly through itslength and is secured to the lower inner edge of the longitudinallyextending relatively wide metal strip 22 by meansof hog rings 36extending through the elongated slots 23 in said strip.

In use, the upwardly arched single composite layer 24 serves as asupporting cushion for the seat upholstery (not shown), such as theusual cotton layer, sponge rubber layer, and exterior trim of a seat.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. The combination with a supporting frame having spaced parallellongitudinally extending front and rear members and having spacedparallel transversely extending side members extending between andsecured to said longitudinally extending members at opposite endsthereof, oftransversely extending strips extending lengthwise of andsecured to the inner sides of said transversely extending members,longitudinally extending strips extending lengthwise of and secured tosaid longitudinally extending members, portions of said longitudinallyextending strips projecting inwardly from said longitudinally extendingmembers and terminating adjacent to the opposite ends of saidtransversely extending members, a single longitudinally extendingcomposite layer arched upwardly throughout its length, occupying thespace between the strips aforesaid, and comprising a longitudinallyextending substantially rectangular sheetof fabric, transverselyextending heavy gauge border wires at opposite ends of said sheet, andtransversely spaced longitudinally extending reinforcing load carryingheavy gauge spring wires threaded through said sheet throughout itslength and terminally connected to said border wires, means securing theborder wires of said composite layer to said transversely extendingstrips, and means securing the fabric of said composite layer totheinwardly projecting portions of said longitudinally extending strips.

2. The structure defined in claim 1, wherein the securing means for saidborder wires comprises open return bent tongues projecting from saidtransversely extending strips and embracing said border wires.

3. The structure defined in claim 1, wherein the securing means for saidfabric comprises hog n'ngs extending through said fabric and extendingthrough openings in the inwardly projecting portions of saidlongitudinally extending strips.

4. The structure defined in claim 1, wherein the securing means for saidborder wires comprises tongues struck out from said transverselyextending strips at longitudinally spaced points thereof.

5. The structure defined in claim 1, wherein the Seouling means for saidborder wires comprises tongues integral with said transversely extendingstrip, embracing said border wires, and pressed against the inner sidesof said transversely extending strips.

6. The structure defined in claim 1, wherein the border wires aresubstantially parallel to said transversely extending strips and arecovered with paper.

7. The structure defined in claim 1, wherein the securing means for saidfabric comprises fasteners having portions engaging said fabric andhaving portions engaging the adjacent edges of openings in the inwardlyprojecting portions of said longitudinallyextending strips.

7 8. The structure defined in claim 1, wherein the transverselyextending members have curved'inner sides, and the transverselyextending strips are substantially C-shape in cross section and embraceand are welded in surface to surface relation to the curved inner sidesof said transversely extending members. 7

9. The structure defined in claim 1, wherein one of said longitudinallyextending strips is a channel-shaped member located upon the outer sideof and embracing the front longitudinally extending member, and theupper lower side walls of said one channel-shaped strip are welded tosaid front longitudinally extending member at substantiallydiametrically opposite sides thereof.

10. The structure defined in claim 1, wherein one of saidlongitudinallyextending strips is welded 'to the outer side of the rear longitudinallyextending member and is transversely curved downwardly and inwardlybelow said rear longitudinally extending member.

1. THE COMBINATION WITH A SUPPORTING FRAME HAVING SPACED PARALLELLONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING FRONT AND REAR MEMBERS AND HAVING SPACEDPARALLEL TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING SIDE MEMBERS EXTENDING BETWEEN ANDSECURED TO SAID LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING MEMBERS AT OPPOSITE ENDSTHEREOF, OF TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING STRIPS EXTENDING LENGTHWISE OF ANDSECURED TO THE INNER SIDES OF SAID TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING MEMBERS,LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING STRIPS EXTENDING LENGTHWISE OF AND SECURED TOSAID LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING MEMBERS, PORTIONS OF SAID LONGITUDINALLYEXTENDING STRIPS PROJECTING INWARDLY FROM SAID LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDINGMEMBERS AND TERMINATING ADJACENT TO THE OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAIDTRANSVERSELY EXTENDING MEMBERS, A SINGLE LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDINGCOMPOSITE LAYER ARCHED UPWARDLY THROUGHOUT ITS LENGTH, OCCUPYING THESPACE BETWEEN THE STRIPS AFORESAID, AND COMPRISING A LONGITUDINALLYEXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR SHEET OF FABRIC, TRANSVERSELYEXTENDING HEAVY GAUGE BORDER WIRES AT OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID SHEET, ANDTRANSVERSELY SPACED LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING REINFORCING LOAD CARRYINGHEAVY GAUGE SPRING WIRES THREADED THROUGH SAID SHEET THROUGHOUT ITSLENGTH AND TERMINALLY CONNECTED TO SAID BORDER WIRES, MEANS SECURING THEBORDER WIRES OF SAID COMPOSITE LAYER TO SAID TRANSVERSELY EXTENDINGSTRIPS, AND MEANS SECURING THE FABRIC OF SAID COMPOSITE LAYER TO THEINWARDLY PROJECTING PORTIONS OF SAID LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING STRIPS.